


Written In Stone And Skin

by Ryan_Zamo711



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Best friend Tsuzuru, F/M, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M, Multi, No Beta We Die Like August, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tags Are Hard, Tags TBA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:02:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28833855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryan_Zamo711/pseuds/Ryan_Zamo711
Summary: You, the reader, have a soulmate. Whenever one of you writes on your skin, it shows up on the other person as well. You two constantly communicate with small doodles and words of encouragement, sometimes even holding full conversations that leave you both covered in ink. Your best friend, Tsuzuru, has always been the one you talk to about these things.Unfortunately, you and your soulmate have both been too nervous to meet in person, despite knowing you’re at least in the same city. At least until you try to ask them on a date, which leads to you almost finding them based off of one simple question.Now you have to ask yourself, who is it?
Relationships: Furuichi Sakyou/Tachibana Izumi, Hyoudou Juuza/Reader, Hyoudou Kumon/Reader, Ikaruga Misumi/Miyoshi Kazunari, Minagi Tsuzuru/Reader, Nanao Taichi/Reader, Settsu Banri/Reader, Sumeragi Tenma/Reader, Usui Masumi/Reader, others TBA
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Written In Stone And Skin

It’s an early Saturday morning, slightly before 8AM. The sun is shining in your eyes, and your cat is curled up at your feet, still sleeping. You have a calm and peaceful life, living alone in a studio apartment that often has at least a friend or two making themselves at home. Of course, you also wake up with words and doodles scattered across your arm that you have no memory of. Today, a small field of flowers has found its way onto your skin, as well as a big ‘good morning!’ above it which causes you to smile softly.

You quickly write back ‘Morning! Have a good day!’ with a small heart next to it, happy to know your soulmate thinks of you even in the early morning. You slowly get ready for the day, your cat following you through your routine until you feed him. “Good boy, Maumau.” You mumble through your sleepiness, petting the small animal as he purrs. 

A small ring alerts you, so you pull out your phone to see a call from ‘Super hot writer thot’, which you picked up immediately.

“(y/n)? Are you awake, or should I come pick you up?” Tsuzuru asked, his soft voice almost lulling you back to sleep as Maumau paws at your legs for you to hold him. 

You let out a yawn as you pick up the small animal, humming before answering your friend. “Mm… I’m awake, but I always appreciate you taking care of me.” You mumble, nuzzling your face against the cat as you inwardly hope your friend's motherly instincts take over and he comes to get you.

You hear him sigh quietly, most likely tired from lack of sleep since he’s been writing the new winter troupe script. “I’ll be there in half an hour, I could use the extra hands for groceries, anyways.” He huffed. You could tell he was running a hand through his hair as he sighed yet again. He’s so dramatic, you think. “I just need to finish getting ready and I’ll be on my way.” He added.

You thought that was a bit long, considering you lived about 5 minutes from the dorms. Oh well, not much you can do about it. “Love you Tsuzuru!” You nearly shouted at your phone, since you were simply happy he takes time out of his day to spend time with his best friend. 

“You too, now go get ready so we’re not at your place for long.” He said, clearly smiling from his tone of voice. You wanted to say more, but couldn’t since you heard the ‘beep’, meaning he had hung up. 

Half an hour and you have no friend to annoy… Or maybe you do? You look to your arm, smiling at the writing that was slowly disappearing from your skin due to your soulmate washing it off of theirs. You watch the ink fade before grabbing your marker and drawing a small heart, which earned a question mark in return. 

You liked your soulmate, really. They were always kind, and they gave you words of encouragement randomly. You kind of… wanted to see them. But that's not something you’d ever even discussed. You wanted to change that, though. So, you decide you’ll ask them to watch the new winter troupe play with you.

‘Ever heard of Mankai Company?’ You wrote, adding yet another small heart at the end of the sentence. 

It took a few seconds for them to reply, but the words that appeared made your heart nearly stop in its tracks. ‘Yeah, I work there. Why?’

You wanted a way out, quick. You couldn’t believe you were meant to be with someone you already know. You quickly write ‘Cool! Sorry, I was just thinking about them, lol.’ and hope that it was enough to satisfy them. 

“Shit.” You huff, running your hands through your hair. It was far too early for you to think about what one of your friends/acquaintances could be your soulmate. You wanted a distraction, so you called the one person you could always depend on to take your mind off of anything serious. 

One ring… 

… Two rings… 

“(y/n)...? It’s too early, I’m sleepy…” Mumbled Muku, yawning into the microphone. He wasn’t who you wanted to call, but it wasn’t like you minded much at the moment. Plus, Muku was always a welcome presence in your opinion. 

You laughed quietly into the speaker, finding yourself wanting to ruffle the small teens hair up a bit. “You answered Kaz’s phone, goofball.” You said.

He began to panic, insulting himself like usual. “O-oh, I’m so sorry! You must think I’m a no good, fried eel over ri-”

“That’s not it at all, Muku!” You interrupt, knowing it's better to stop himself depreciation sooner rather than later. “You’re sleepy, remember? It was an honest mistake. Plus I’m sure Kaz wouldn’t mind, right?” You reassured him.

“You’re right, (y/n).” He said through a yawn, clearly stretching by the sounds of it. “Kaz is still sleeping, I can wake him up if you want me to.” He offered.

You thought carefully, knowing the blond probably wouldn’t be upset either way. On one hand, he  _ did _ deserve more sleep… But then again, he’s never been one to let people rest when he wants to talk, anyways. “Yes please! Tell him I have urgent news.” You hum, examining your nails before looking at the clock. 25 more minutes until Tsuzuru gets there.

You hear Muku shout the man's name, honestly slightly surprised by just how powerful the boy's voice could be sometimes. Of course, Kaz could be  _ just _ as loud as him, if not louder.

“(y/n)~! It’s always a good morning with you on the phone, what’s up?” He asks excitedly, not sounding tired at all. 

“Kaz! I just wanted to talk to you, I missed your voice.” You cheered as Maumau chirped into the mic, letting whoever was on the other side of the phone know he  _ needed _ attention. “Maumau missed you too, I guess.”

He inhaled sharply at the mere mention of the feline, clearly missing him more than he did you. “Tell the little man I love him! You’re coming over today, right? Can you please,  _ please _ bring him again?” He begged, making you almost see his puppy dog eyes. 

You let out a small sigh, thinking about how Tsuzuru would feel if you did decide to bring him. Honestly, it wouldn’t be the first time. You got him a leash and harness when you first moved, and Kaz gave you a cat backpack for your birthday gift that year. “Yeah, yeah. Just lemme pack him some stuff so I don’t have to give him water from a bowl. That would probably make Sakyo mad.” You huff, getting up from the floor to begin packing a bag with all of the things you think he’s need for the day. “Hey, has Tsuzuroon left yet? He’s coming to pick me up.” You ask, sliping the extra cat bowls you keep around into the bag before adding in some of his food.

Kaz let out a quiet ‘uhh’ as he shuffled around his room, probably trying to look out his window to see if Tsuzuru was visible outside. “Don’t think so, he’s probably still getting ready.” He answered, “I could send Juza to pick you up on his bike if you’d prefer, I think he’s in the kitchen with Omimi right now.” He added, generously offering up the other man's time. 

Juza, huh? Just a year older than you, single… could he possibly be your soulmate? No way, right? "Uhm…" you mumbled, shaking your head to clear your mind. You're not ready to face anyone it could be, yet. Not until you tell your best friend. "I'd rather wait for Tsuzuru, honestly. Plus I don't think Maumau would like the bike!" You hummed, thankful that you're good at coming up with excuses. 

"Okay~! I'll make sure Tsuzuroon is the one to get you, then! No one else will tag along under my watch!" He hummed, seeming very proud of himself. Honestly, you wouldn't be surprised if Kaz tagged along with him at this point, since he's so sure of himself at the moment. It was nice, knowing that he and Tsuzuru would always be there for you. Kaz was almost like an older brother to you by that point,  _ almost. _ It was odd for siblings to get along that well, you think. Tsuzuru definitely doesn't feel like a sibling. He's just… Tsuzuru. Tsuzuru that you can always count on, Tsuzuru that you couldn't live without. Tsuzuru, your best friend. 

"Thank you Kaz~! Maumau says thank you, too!" You cheer, finally all ready to leave the house. All you had to wait for was Tsuzuru. 20 more minutes. 

You and Kazunari pass the time by talking about random things, eventually ending up on the topic of his own soulmate. You couldn't be more happy that he and Sumi ended up finding each other at such a young age, especially since they're so cute together. They always give you hope for your own future. You  _ also _ end up talking about your current love life, since Kazunari thinks you shouldn't force yourself to wait for your soulmate, since some people  _ never _ meet theirs. You told him you insist on waiting, after all, they could be close by.

You lost track of time, only noticing when you hear a knock at your front door. You don't even bother getting up since Tsuzuru has a spare key already, and he has no shame in letting himself in whenever he wants or needs to. You quickly say your goodbyes to Kaz, telling him that Tsuzuru was already there before saying sorry and hanging up.

He slowly opens the door, being careful not to leave any space for the cat to escape just in case he gets any ideas. He's holding a plastic bag with something inside that smelled sweet, immediately exciting you. He's extremely confused by how he finds you. "(y/n)... Is the floor that comfortable?" He asked, smiling slightly as he walked over to you, holding out a hand to help you up.

"Sit with me?" You ask, grabbing his hand without making any effort to leave the floor. "Please, Tsuzuroon?" You pout, pulling his hand gently before he caves in and sits next to you on the hardwood floor. 

You two were used to casual affection, especially with each other and Kaz. Some thought it was odd, especially with the two year age gap between you and Tsuzuru. It wasn't your fault, though. Tsuzuru just seemed drawn to friendly extroverts like yourself and Kaz, really. 

"Omi made some muffins for you. You should eat one if you haven't had breakfast yet." He offered, already unpacking the bag to show you 4 banana and poppyseed muffins in a cardboard box. 

You happily picked one up, eyes almost sparkling at the sight of the pastry made by your  _ favorite _ chef and baker. "You should have one, too! I like eating together." You offer, pushing the box back towards him gently. 

He smiled softly at you before picking one up, taking a small bite from the top while averting his eyes from you. "...it's good." he hummed quietly, covering his mouth while he chewed. You happily ate it, really. You weren't shy to eat in front of him, especially since he'd basically seen you inhale a full can of whipped cream on a dare once. 

"Tsuzuru… you know how my soulmate works, yeah?" You ask, popping the last bite of your muffin into your mouth. 

"Of course." He hummed, only halfway through his own muffin. 

"I wanted to ask them on a date to see the new winter show." You told him, crossing your legs and pulling your cat into your lap, watching him flop and lay down peacefully.

Tsuzuru nodded slowly in return, mirroring your body language to show you he was listening.

"So I asked them if they knew about Mankai company," You mumbled, rubbing Maumaus belly nervously. "And they said they work there." 

"Does that make you happy?" He asked, resting his head in the palm of his hand. 

You shook your head slowly, still focusing your vision on the feline between your legs. It's better than seeing Tsuzurus face right now. After all, you're meant to be with one of his co-workers. It's a little embarrassing. "... maybe? It's weird. I know my soulmate, but I don't know who it is." 

He nodded slowly, pulling out his phone before he began typing out a message. "You're 18, so they'd have to be close to your age. Can you think of anyone it could possibly be?" He asked, passing you the phone to type in his notes app. 

You quickly wrote down several names, feeling more self conscious with each letter you type. Kumon, Tenma, Masumi, Taichi, Juza, Banri, and Sakuya. That was it, right? You quickly passed the phone back to him, letting him scan over the names before nodding at you again. 

"Sakuya doesn't have a soul mark, I know that much. As for the rest? I propose you probe them for answers, if you're comfortable with that. I'll help you if it makes you happy." He offered, slipping his phone back into his pocket after saving the note. "I know a little about the rest, too. Want to know more?"

You nod slowly at him, slowly scooting closer to him for your own comfort. "Yes please…" you mumble.

"Right. My information is limited since not everyone is comfortable talking about their marks, okay?" He reminded, reaching over to scratch under Maumaus' chin. "Kumon and Banri for sure have the same mark as you. That's all I know for Kumon, but I  _ do _ know that Banri isn't a big fan of soulmates. He thinks it takes away his freedom of choice." He says, earning an eager nod from you before he continues. "Juza, Tenma, and Masumi don't talk about theirs much. Masumi may be obsessed with Izumi, but she's Sakyo's soulmate, remember? He has a different one." He sighs, causing you to cringe at the idea of being destined to be with someone who's already in love. "And Taichi brags about the fact that he even has one nonstop. It's a little annoying, really." He adds, finishing up his speech on the boys and their soulmates. 

You nod slowly at the information, trying to take it all in. So, one of them is your soulmate? That's… a lot to take in. "Can we tell Izumi and Sakyo, pleeeaaase? I think they could help me." You beg, knowing Izumi has come to be protective of you since meeting you a few weeks after Tsuzuru joined the troupe. 

Tsuzuru nods again before pulling out his phone, typing out a quick message, pocketing the device immediately after. "I'll tell them later, okay? We should get going, Kaz probably really wants to see the little gentleman." He hummed, rubbing the cat's belly before getting up from the floor, offering you a soft smile. "Things will work out, okay? If you don't love them, it's alright. Soulmates aren't written in stone, after all." 

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, following his advice as you began to pack away the cat. 

He had to be right, things would be okay, right?


End file.
